Red Bird
by Rutilus 'Two-Hands' Obscurum
Summary: An American nuclear warhead platform satellite crashes on launch in 1965 off the Oregon Coastline. Now, Keitaro, Seta, and Motoko are caught in the crossfire as a terrorist group tries to procure the satellite!
1. Prologue and Prayer

**Author's Note- I have been reading Dirk Pitt and NUMA Files novels recently. After seeing all these great stories, I've wanted to write something similar. Right now, I am on the Oregon Coast on vacation. I have decided to write a story similar to one of Clive Cussler's novels. I hope to do fairly well and at least get two chapters before my vacations over. Rate how you wish to.**

**A 2010 Obscurum/6****th**** Beatle Production**

Red Bird

Prologue- Oregon Coast, June 1965

With the roar of a jet engine, the nighttime air was filled with the sounds of aircraft in Everett, Washington. Suddenly, a loud metallic bang was heard, and the jet died away. A window was shattered in the number two testing building. The shouts of the workers inside then took the place of the sound that was the engine.

"NUMBER SEVEN THREW A BLADE!"

A few workers cowered behind metal barriers and other objects. Luckily, nobody had been in the path of the flying projectile. Eventually, someone would search to find it embedded in the side of a neighboring building. The workers rose from their hiding spots, and advanced to the engine in the center of the room, a Pratt & Whitney JT9D. One of the workers, the foreman, advanced to the front of the small congregation.

"Damn it all, it looks like we'll have to tell the folks back in management that the airline wasn't lying about this one."

Suddenly, there was a roar of fire, and a rumbling blast that rocked the building. The people scattered once more, but then stopped. They realized it wasn't the engine. The foreman stood up, and looked around yelling.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? IT SOUNDS LIKE A ROCKET!"

He felt warm air blowing past his face, and turned toward an open door in the corner of the hangar. He advanced toward it, a couple of other workers following after him. When he reached the door, he flung it open, and stuck his head outside.

"What in god's name?!"

He looked down the taxiway that traveled past his building. In front of him, a very large, and very active missile was slowly beginning its ascent into the nighttime air.

"Where the hell is an ICBM doing on the taxiway?!"

The handful of startled workers watched in awe as the very large and very hot Atlas ICBM made its way up. They then braced themselves against the heat that came in their direction. As the missile continued to ascend, padding tiles fell to the ground around the unknown launch tower only to be incinerated instantly. The rocket continued to accelerate into the sky.

"Since when did they have this test planned?!"

More and more workers made their way out of the building. The foreman's eyes were still burning from the heat and intense light produced by the rockets engines. Unseen between two hangars however, was a command truck packed with scientists.

"Hellfire 1 has begun its ascent sir. There are currently no problems to report."

The others continued to stare at their consoles intently.

"When is it estimated that the missile will dispense the payload?"

One man looked away from his console.

"In approximately thirty minutes."

They then sat silently for ten minutes, watching the displays. It seemed like an eternity, everyone sitting in the tense quiet of the event.

"So commander, will this really work?"

A man in uniform stepped up to the lead scientist.

"This launch wouldn't be happening if it wouldn't work. We really do not want to piss off our money currently, especially since the Russians are watching."

They all continued to sit quietly. They then reached the fifteen minute mark.

"Sir, we are at midpoint. The current location is off the Oregon coastline. It will be awhile before that Russian satellite swings around again."

Suddenly, one of the engine management display lights began to blink.

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Engine number one is overheating, over, over, it's gone!"

The others stared at the man, who let out the short outburst.

"Damn it, we lost another engine! They're all going out!"

The commander jumped to the console.

"What's happening?! Get the technicians on the line!"

"Our systems all went offline, and the engines burned off! She's slowing in ascent."

The small screen in front of the man showed on a grid of lights the missile's course. The lights slowed their blinking in an upward direction, and finally stopped. All of a sudden, the lights began to descend, only colored red instead of white. They blinked on one by one, more quickly with the passing seconds.

"Sir, she's descending at a fast rate!"

"What's the current attitude of the rocket?"

"She's going nose-down sir. She's cooled off."

"So where's the damned thing going to land?!"

There was a brief silence before the man spoke again.

"The missile will land off of the Oregon coast. We estimate however, that all components will remain intact."

There was a hesitant sigh of relief; however tenseness combined with the relief.

"So what do we do? We can't touch the damned payload on that missile. The Russians have that area right on a corner of one of their search grids."

The commander sat down heavily on a metal chair. Some assumed it almost broke.

"We bury the shit deep, and very deep. As well as that, we have to get rid of the damn scorch mark on the tarmac out there."

"What course of action do you suppose we take?"

"Crash a plane there. This is Boeing. You can say you were testing remote flying components on a 707."

There was a heavy silence as the men continued to sit silently.

"C'mon folks, lets pack up. I have to write a report in the morning."

The commander picked up a phone that was linked to the truck that pulled the command trailer.

"Pull out. The mission was a damned failure."

The engine started, and the men felt the trailer lurch forward. Within a few minutes, the truck and trailer disappeared from Boeing Field, and into the night.

Chapter 1- Prayer

The lulled whoosh of the engines had a calming effect as the Boeing 747 continued its cruise. The plane, American Pacific 1123, was a flight bound from the Japanese islands to the city of Seattle, Washington. The flight had gone routinely, and with an uncommon tail wind, much more quickly than originally anticipated. The passengers were a combination of Japanese tourists, American tourists returning from Japan, scholars, and archaeologists. There was a hushed chatter between the educational group, a combination of Japanese and English.

A man wearing a green t-shirt, jeans, and glasses motioned to one of the professors among the group. The man came and sat in an empty seat across from him.

"Professor Seta, what are we doing here anyway? Why bring such a large group of people?"

The professor readjusted his glasses and straightened his lab coat.

"Well Keitaro, we weren't able to replace last month's crew on that excavation along the coast. We have to replace the ENTIRE team now. Even though this may seem more costly, it was actually more costly assembling accommodations for the stranded crew."

They sat silently once more, listening to the engines. Keitaro turned his head, and looked out the window nearest to him. To his right, he could see two of the four Pratt & Whitney JT9Ds pulling the aircraft through the air. It was the oldest 747 in the American Pacific fleet. As he continued to watch, he noticed small pulses of light begin to trace their way past the window.

"What the hell is that?"

He leaned into the window, and watched as the stream of pulsing green lights drew nearer. Suddenly, it touched the farthest engine out. To his alarm, the cowling shredded, and the engine caught fire. The lights continued to stitch their way through the engine, and the aircraft shook violently. Finally the lights met where the engine was attached to the wing, severing the rear bolt assembly. The engine freed itself, pulled forward, and hinged on the forward bolt. It slammed up and over the wing, and finally parted to leave a large, disfiguring dent on the wings surface. A dark pall of oil could be seen drizzling over the surface and off the trailing edge.

"We just lost an engine! I think it was shot off!"

The passengers began screaming, and the plane suddenly dipped to the left. Seta, who was not buckled in, was thrown to the right side of the plane. He then clung to a seat arm rest, and held for dear life.

"Keitaro, those looked like flak shells! They come from an anti-aircraft gun!"

The plane righted itself, and the wing began to shake violently.

"Seta, how the hell do you know that?!"

"When we were being pursued by the Molmol Airforce! Their blimps just about sawed the wings off the Cessna!"

The plane continued to shudder violently, and the pained voice of the captain came over the loudspeaker.

"Atten… oh shit!"

The plane dipped once more, and the yells of the men in the cockpit were heard.

"Johnson, you handle the damned comm!"

The communication was silenced, and then came on once more.

"Sorry about that ladies and gentlemen. This is your copilot speaking. It seems that we have had an unknown loss of the number four engine, and loss of control to part of the ailerons on the right wing. The aircraft is still flyable, but just barely. We are planning on making an emergency landing soon."

The plane shuddered again.

"Please batten yourselves down as best you can. The turbulence will get pretty bad soon enough. We'll do our best up here, and can assure you that we will make it, even if we have to ditch in the ocean."

The speakers silenced.

"Seta, what should we do?"

Seta looked at Keitaro.

"Right now, we pray."


	2. Salvation

**Author's Note- I know the first chapter was a bit short, but this one will fill out more. The first really was more the establishment of the story. Now I begin the next chapter. Rate how you wish!**

Red Bird

Chapter 2- Salvation

The stricken jet continued to struggle through the sky. Every so often, the aircraft's wings would dip again, and this would be met by the screams of passengers. There were many people already injured, either by luggage from bins, other passengers, or anything that wasn't tied down in the aircraft cabin. Keitaro and Seta sat in their row, muttering prayers.

"Kami-sama, I know you can protect us. Please let me be able to see Haruka and Sara again. Please protect me, Keitaro, and my students…"

He continued to pray.

"Please let me see Narusegawa again! I don't want to die, please protect me! I would do anything, if it meant being beaten to near death by Motoko, or shot at by Su, or anything, please let me live!"

All of a sudden, the pounding of footsteps was heard faintly in the aisle. Keitaro looked up to see a flight attendant in a red uniform glancing out the window.

"What's wrong ma'am?"

The attendant turned to Keitaro.

"The captain sent me back here to see what happened to the engine. It's completely gone I see."

"We saw it disappear."

The flight attendant stared at him.

"You did? What happened?!"

Keitaro nudged the professor, who looked up.

"I and professor Seta saw a stream of lights. The engine was shot off by flak from an anti-aircraft gun."

Seta nodded in agreement.

"You must come with me to the cockpit immediately and tell the captain everything you saw."

They unbuckled themselves from their seats, and clambered over the strewn luggage and other miscellaneous objects. They reached the bulkhead stairs, and clambered up them. Keitaro looked down to find shattered glass on the floor from the bar. Soon, they reached the top of the staircase and the first class bulkhead area. They then made the final short trip to the door of the cockpit. The flight attendant turned to them.

"Please wait."

She approached the cockpit door and knocked loudly.

"Jenny, what did you find out?!"

"Sir, I found two gentlemen who saw the incident. I'm sending them in!"

"Okay, just be careful if and when the plane pitches again!"

The flight attendant then turned back to Keitaro and Seta.

"You may enter."

She opened the cockpit door, and ushered them inside. The cockpit was a scene of chaos. There were charts and books strewn everywhere. The captain and copilots knuckles were white, their hands clamped tightly to the controls.

"Tell us what you saw."

Keitaro nodded.

"We were sitting in our row. I happened to glance out the window, and spotted a stream of lights passing by the window."

The captain was puzzled.

"Lights? What the hell are you talking about, UFO's?"

"Just listen," said Keitaro.

He continued with his story.

"The stream neared the wing, and when they touched the engine they chewed it up. It tore the edge of the engine to pieces, and then continued toward the center. It caught fire, and then broke where it was fastened onto the wing. It then swung up and over the wing, making a big dent on the top surface and ripping away some of the front edge of the wing. There was oil streaming off of the wing too."

The captain fought with the controls again, and regained control of the aircraft.

"That would explain the loss… of the ailerons. The engine tore through the… hydraulic lines."

Seta then stepped forward.

"I might also want to add that what we were hit with seem to be flak from an anti-aircraft gun."

The cockpit went silent. The captain could not believe what he had heard.

"You're shitting me!"

"Not at all, sir. Whoever it was shot right through the engine and sawed it right off the plane. I've been shot at before."

The plane lurched again, and the pilots suddenly broke the conversation.

"Seattle Center, Seattle Center, this is American Pacific eleven twenty-three! We can't hold on much longer! Please route us to the nearest airstrip!"

There was a squabble of radio chatter faintly heard.

"Eleven twenty-three, Seattle center. Your nearest airport that is available is Ocean Shores, but the runway is too short."

"We'll take anything, just as long as we can get these passengers on the ground!"

Meanwhile, the people at Air Traffic Control were frantically milling around the room. The controller handling the jet continued calmly.

"May I ask how many souls you have on board?"

"Four-hundred and fifty-two in total, including crew."

The plane made another dip, the wings nearly going vertical. Keitaro and Seta could hear the screams of the passengers and crew in the cabin behind them. The plane slowly leveled off.

"We have to put it down. We can't hold it up any longer."

They notified control, who acknowledged the information. The plane began to descend, and the pilots pulled back on the throttles. The aircraft began to shake violently.

"Put more power on! We'll stall!"

The plane slowed, and the copilot reached forward and shoved the throttles in. The engines screamed, and pulled the aircraft up to speed once more.

"DAMN IT," the captain exclaimed.

They continued with a steady descent, and pierced through the final cloud layer. The only thing visible now was the distant shoreline, and the rolling seas below the plane. The pilots' shirts were damp with sweat. The captain's veins were nearly bursting.

"What do we do?! We can't put it down at this speed!"

Seta leaned forward, and gazed through the windshield.

"So your airspeed drops whenever you slow the engines, right?"

"No shit Sherlock!"

Seta remained calm, and continued to speak.

"Now let's just plan this through, alright? We're nearing the shoreline very quickly now, and our only option is to set it in the water. We don't want to get going to fast, or else the plane will disintegrate on landing. If we can use the damage to the wing to our advantage, we can stall it into the water."

The captain glanced at the altimeter.

"Well you have a couple thousand feet to make your decision. We can't do much more than fly this damned thing."

Seta nodded.

"Do the flaps on the right wing operate correctly?"

The copilot glanced at the displays in front of him.

"Only the sections nearest the aircraft. Anything past those severed hydraulic lines is dead."

"Perfect. You'll want more drag on the left side of the plane so it doesn't yaw to the right on landing."

The copilot looked up.

"A thousand feet to go! We're nearing the coastline as well! We're about a mile and a half offshore!"

"DO IT NOW!"

The copilot grabbed at the controls, and yanked the flaps lever all the way down. The instant air resistance threw Seta and Keitaro forward. The pilots kept the plane's nose up, and the altitude instantly disappeared. The aircraft was now three quarters of a mile offshore.

"BRACE YOURSELVES!"

The plane impacted with the water; tail first, along with engine 1 and the remains of engine 4. The nose remained on plane for a short distance, and the second and third engines were soon ripped from their mountings. There was a tremendous roar of ocean water as the jet plowed forward. Hundreds of offshore boaters watched in horror as the jet plowed forward through the water. Miraculously the wings stayed intact. Keitaro and the professor blacked out.

Meanwhile in Japan…

The report immediately gained international attention. BBC, CNN, and other outlets as well as some Japanese stations immediately stated whatever new information they gained. Those involved still had yet to hear about what had happened.

At the Hinata Apartments, Kitsune was washing dishes with Shinobu. The radio was on, and was playing music from an oldies station. Both girls became annoyed when the catchy tune that was playing ceased.

"Aww crap. I was listening to that!"

A news report soon followed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the interruption. This just in, an American jet carrying passengers from Japan and America has just crashed off the shore of the United States."

Kitsune stopped drying a plate she had in her hand.

"Shinobu, listen!"

The turned up the radio slightly, and gazed at it.

"Flight eleven twenty-three, a Boeing 747 owned by American Pacific Airlines, was reportedly seen by both Air Traffic Control operators and boaters along the coast."

Kitsune gasped.

"That was Keitaro and Seta's plane!"

"Bystanders also report that the plane in fact appeared to be missing an engine."

Haruka was watching a game show in the living room. Kitsune made a mad dash to the kitchen door and down the hall.

"Haruka, turn the TV to the news right now! Keitaro's plane crashed!"

Haruka's jaw dropped, and her cigarette fell from her mouth. She grabbed the remote and punched in the channel number. The channel changed, and soon the colorful game show disappeared to be replaced by an image of the ocean, with descriptions scrolling at the bottom of the screen. In the dead center of the ocean picture was the white bulkhead and wings of a large passenger jet. The blue striped livery and block lettering of American Pacific were half submerged, and the vertical stabilizer was half out of the water. It was live feed from a news helicopter. A female Japanese reporter translated the American reporter.

"It is a scene of complete horror here off the coast of Washington State. The Boeing 747 was seen by boaters a few miles off, struggling through the sky. Most eyewitnesses state that they could clearly see that an engine was missing. If you look at the image currently on the screen, you can clearly see the evidence of the missing engine, where the wing is damaged."

As they sat staring at the television, Motoko came down the stairs. She looked to her left, and noticed the trio staring at the screen.

"What's going on?"

Shinobu turned to her, tears brimming in her eyes.

"S-sem… Sempai… his plane… it crashed!"

"What?!" she exclaimed.

She walked up to them, and peered down at the screen. Her heart slowed when she saw the image of the slowly submerging jet. Passenger rafts were now visibly deploying from the doors still above water, and boats were clustering around the plane. The reporter continued to speak more animatedly.

"Thank goodness, the passengers appear to be safe! We have yet to see the captain however."

A coast guard cutter then pulled up to the aircraft. Two men in yellow rough-weather gear jumped over the railing and swam for the aircraft. An orange inflatable pulled up to the aircraft hatch. Soon, the two men appeared once more, their backs to the door. They also were pulling two bodies.

"Ladies and gentlemen, they have found the captain, the copilot…"

She trailed off. The next pair of bodies appeared, only to puzzle her and her audience.

"What's this? They don't appear to be part of the flight crew… they appear to be passengers!"

The camera zoomed in, and the girls burst out in a cheer. The white coat of professor Seta, and a dazed Keitaro appeared at the door.

"Keitaro! He's okay!" Motoko burst out excitedly.

Haruka sighed with relief.

"Thank god he's okay."

Suddenly the phone rang. Haruka stood up, and walked over to pick up the receiver.

"Hello, Hinata Apartments."

"Yes, hello. Is this the residence of Keitaro and Haruka Urashima?"

The question contained an undertone strongly suggesting a personal relationship.

"Yes, and this is his Aunt."

The man on the other end made a grumbling cough, audibly embarrassed by his mistake.

"Yes, well, I have called to inform you that your nephew is safe and sound."

"Yes, we saw the reports."

The man sighed on the other end.

"Yes, but there's more. Apparently he was unconscious when they found him, but now he has quickly rebounded to a beyond safe condition. I'm surprised myself. Against the better judgment of the medical staff, we have decided to fulfill his request to speak with loved ones. We will patch him through from the cutter."

Haruka said her thanks, and called over to the girls while the line was rerouted.

"Who wants to speak to Keitaro?"

Motoko looked up, surprised. She stood up and as a result, Haruka pointed the phone in her direction.

"I see we have a taker."

She made her way to the phone, and carefully took hold of the receiver.

"Hello? Keitaro?"

"Motoko, is that you?"

"Yes."

"It's great to hear from you! It was all I could do to get this call through. They want to truck me off to the hospital before I can do anything whatsoever."

Motoko laughed light-heartedly. The others sat and watched silently.

"Well I'm glad you're okay Urashima."

"Thank you."

"So do you want to talk to someone else? Shinobu, Kitsune, and Haruka are here."

"Sure. Can I talk to Shinobu?"

"That would be best. She's still horrified from the news report."

Motoko turned and waved Shinobu over with a free hand. She handed the girl the phone, who clutched it like a holy object.

"Sempai? Are you okay? Does your head hurt?"

Keitaro laughed heartily.

"Shinobu, it's okay! I'm fine! You know I can take much more than this. Just ask Su!"

"Thank goodness."

They conversed for a few more minutes, and eventually Shinobu hung the phone up. She was smiling.

"Thank you Haruka. I have to go do something upstairs really quick like, okay? Can you guys finish with the dishes?"

Haruka nodded, and Shinobu darted off. She then turned around and faced the two girls behind her.

"Now that we have that over with…"

"I wonder what happened," Motoko interrupted.

Haruka was wondering the same thing.

"I know that Keitaro is on that dive offshore, and I have the sneaking suspicion that something is wrong. You don't hardly ever see accidents like that at all."

Motoko nodded, hand on her chin and nodding in thought.

"Something is not right. I can sense it."

They sat silently, pondering what they should do. Haruka looked up.

"Though I do trust Seta, I think we should send someone to accompany Keitaro, someone who can defend themselves as well as Keitaro."

Motoko stood up.

"I'm sure we all know who that will be."

Meanwhile in America

The Coast Guard boat made its way through the mass cluster of personal boats, a few of them trailing behind holding more passengers from the downed plane. Miraculously, everyone had survived. The only loss was an entire aircraft and luggage. The boats entered the port, and approached the dock. The coast guard and EMS teams had cleared an area on shore for passengers to be examined. Once that was completed, the passengers would then be driven to Seattle by bus.

Keitaro was conscious, and perfectly fine. However, Seta had barely drifted to consciousness. He found himself waking up to the ceiling of a hospital tent.

"Ni nattekita mō guden guden," he said dazedly in Japanese.

"That's because they pumped at least a gallon of painkillers into you," Keitaro replied in English.

Seta looked over to his right to find Keitaro standing next to the bed. A nurse was standing next to him, looking down at Seta.

"Is everyone okay Keitaro?"

"Yes, everyone is fine. Thanks to our helping the pilots, nobody was killed. Maybe a little injured, but nothing fatal."

He weakly nodded his head.

"Good, that is very good."

They continued to sit silently, and stare around the room. The tent had been hastily pitched, and most of the equipment was still stowed. Only one other passenger was present in the tent. As they continued to sit, a nurse entered and approached them.

"Are you Keitaro Urashima?"

"Yes."

"Very good. Listen, the bus is here. I'm going to do a final check on your friend here, and if he's in a good condition he can be discharged. He's going to be down for awhile though…"

"Thank you."

"It was nothing."

She smiled kindly, and left the tent. Soon, another doctor returned, and gave Seta a brief physical. He turned to Keitaro, and gave him a simple thumbs up. They were okay to go, and were quickly discharged. Seta was placed in a wheelchair, and Keitaro quickly pushed him out of the tent and into the area of a turnoff on the side of a highway. A Grayhound bus was idling in front of the encampment.

"Final call for Seattle! All remaining passengers please board now!"

Keitaro hustled the wheelchair over to the bus door. The driver looked down at them.

"C'mon, we've gotta' go. I'll find your friend a seat if it isn't too painful."

"For some reason they felt it necessary to dope him up on painkillers. He's fine."

The driver took Seta by the torso, and began dragging him up the steps. Keitaro folded up the wheelchair, and tossed it in a storage bin on the bottom of the bus. He returned to the entrance door, and climbed up the steps. Finding a seat next to Seta, he rested his head against the seat rest. The bus then began to roll, and he was out cold.


	3. Arrival

**Author's Note- Well, here's chapter 3! Rate!**

Red Bird

Chapter 3- Arrival

Keitaro slept soundly the entire length of the bus ride. The bus had traveled up the coastal highway, and through the southern side of Seattle. It arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International, and the majority of sleeping passengers were shaken awake. Keitaro looked around, and noted they had arrived.

"Seta, we're here."

He looked to his right, to find the seat empty.

"Keitaro, over here."

He looked to his left into the aisle. Seta was standing, and did not appear as he had when they had left.

"Wow, you must really pass that stuff through pretty quickly."

He stood up, and walked down the length of the bus. He stepped out onto the sidewalk and into the cool, moist evening air. The sun was beginning to set.

"Luckily, I still have all my money and my wallet. All that was lost was some luggage."

He walked down the sidewalk away from the bus, Seta trailing behind him. He hailed a taxi, and the cab pulled to a halt. He opened the door, and they both hopped in.

"Where to buddy?"

"Can you take us to the Coast Gateway Hotel please?"

"No problem at all."

The taxi pulled away from the curb, and tore off down the street. As they stopped at each intersection, Keitaro would sit and think. He pondered what had happened, and wondered why someone would shoot down a passenger aircraft. He was shaken from his thoughts when the driver hit the brakes in front of the hotel.

"Here you are sir. Fifty bucks!"

"Damn, taxi fees are getting way out of hand!"

He forked over the bills, and hauled Seta out the right passenger door onto the sidewalk. They both stretched, and watched as the taxi cab pulled away. They then turned, and walked to the front door of the hotel.

"Luckily, our reservation we made before the trip still stands," Seta said.

They came up to the female clerk behind the counter, who gave them a confused look. They both look like they had stumbled out of a bar.

"I'm sorry gentlemen, but we're closed. I can call a taxi for you, however."

Keitaro stepped forward.

"We have reservations. My friend here is the only one who is technically 'drunk.' We just stumbled out of that 747 that came down off the coast."

The clerk's eyes widened.

"Oh my god, I apologize! I didn't know! You must be the Urashima Party?"

"Yes."

"Great, I'm so sorry. You have room 413 on the top level. The hot tub is on the roof, and is open until midnight tonight."

"Thank you Miss."

As they began to walk away, the clerk called one final time.

"I know you were with a group. Do you wish me to say anything to those looking for you?"

Keitaro stopped and thought. Making up his mind, he looked back at the cashier.

"Yes. Just tell them where we are."

"Thank you."

They trudged off to the stairs, and ascended the four flights. They made their way down the hallway, and soon reached their room. Keitaro slipped the keycard the clerk had given him into the lock, and the door clicked open. They stumbled in, and fell face-first onto the bed.

"I'll shower… in the… morning," Keitaro said sleepily.

They then fell asleep. They both fell into a coma-like state, and didn't awaken until nine in the morning. Keitaro awoke first, and looked around. Sun came in through the large bay window on one side of the room, and he blinked against its light. He sat up, stretched, and yawned.

"God that felt good."

He stood up, and stumbled sideways. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he approached the door to the room, and opened it. He staggered into the hallway, and stretched once more. His eyes twitched, and he was visibly drained of energy. He stumbled down the hall, and made his way down to the lobby. Approaching the clerk, he smiled.

"Hello Miss, is there somewhere where I could purchase a pair of swimming trunks?"

She looked up.

"You must be one of the gentlemen from last night. Yes, there's a shop right over here. It's closed right now, but I can charge you."

She stood up from behind the counter, and walked with Keitaro over to a gift shop in the side of the lobby. She unlocked the glass door, and they entered the dark room.

"We lost all of our luggage from the flight, so I need a pair."

She looked at him, a sad look on her face. Sympathetically, she smiled.

"You know what? You can have them for free. It's the least we can do."

Keitaro blinked in wonderment.

"Are you really sure?"

"Yes. After losing whatever belongings you brought here, it must be a pain having to buy new clothes. I'll do at least this one little favor."

"Thank you."

She cut the magnetic tags from the cloth, and handed the swimwear to Keitaro. He bowed, and quickly walked off to the stairs. He made the four flights, and then took the fifth to get to the roof. When he emerged, he found a beautiful hot tub area that was more like a small pool. It was covered, and immersed in a mist. Every so often, early morning fog from the Pacific would drift over the springs, dousing everything in a gray blanket that had only a three foot visibility. Next to the pool of water was a sign that read 'Please Shower Before Entering.'

"Wow! The pool is deserted! I can have it all to myself!"

He picked up a towel from a nearby cart, and trotted over to the showers and changing rooms. He quickly rinsed off, and donned the swimwear. He exited the showering area, and approached the water. He approached the edge, and dipped one foot in.

"Oh wow! This is as warm as the springs at home!"

He let himself sink and hit bottom. He sighed with enjoyment as the aches and pains caused by the crash slowly melted away. As he continued to sit silently in the water, he heard the nearby access door open.

_It must be Seta..._ he thought to himself.

The person, however, did not speak. He listened as they walked barefooted to the changing area. They entered, and he listened to the swish of a shower. He continued to listen.

"Why is Seta taking longer to shower?" he muttered in a low tone to himself.

Just as soon as the thought had crossed his mind, the faucet was turned off. He heard the sound of wet footsteps as the person approached the pool. He looked in the general direction, only to have a portion of Pacific fog cross his path. He could, however, see the silhouette of the person. They were tall and slender, and from what he could gather had long hair that fell to their waist. It was a woman.

"Hello there. Do you mind if I join you? I'm waiting for someone."

_Oh, it must be another guest here, _Keitaro thought.

"Sure. The pool's open."

Sadly, Keitaro had made the same mistake that he had made as when he had first come to be the manager of the apartments. This was proven by the fact that the woman drew a short, surprised gasp of air.

"Arigatou…" she said, not finished with the thanks.

Keitaro noted the incompleteness of her tone. She approached him through the water, the water sloshing softly as she continued her approach. Soon, she sat down next to him, fairly close. Keitaro could not see her clearly.

"Keitaro."

He froze. Something felt very, very wrong. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and a cold tingle pulsed through his body.

_Please be a student, please be a student, please for the love of god be a student! _Keitaro prayed in his head.

"You are very lucky that for this trip, I have chosen to be overly lenient."

The fog cleared then. Keitaro still did not have his glasses however, and as a result the woman in front of him reached one long, slender arm out, and plucked his glasses from nearby. She then kindly handed them to him.

"Um… thank you."

He put his glasses on, and turned white. Before him was Motoko, her lithe body only dressed in a purple two-piece swimsuit. Her hair was not tied up, and as a result flowed around her shoulders and upper torso like oil flowing on top of the water. The part of it that wasn't immersed in water shined in the light that came through the fog.

"M… Mo… Motoko… I hardly expected to see you here!"

She turned her head and smiled kindly at him.

"Haruka sent me to keep an eye on you. I figured I needed the break."

She reached a hand from the water and gently massaged her shoulders and neck. The water glistened on her skin.

"Man I ache from all the practice I've been performing."

She shut her eyes and sighed with relief. Wearily, Keitaro settled into the water as did she.

"Can I be sure you won't nail me with an attack?"

"I promise I won't. I volunteered, seeing that Koalla's Weapons are harmless due to a 'peace treaty' between her and Haruka. I'm the only one really that can defend."

The nearby access door opened, and this time it really was Seta. He was in the middle of a yawn, and didn't notice Keitaro and Motoko until he looked to greet Keitaro.

"Good morning, Kei… Motoko! Good to see you here."

She glared at him, and jerked her head sideways, folding her arms and sticking her nose up.

"You're the last person I wanted to see this morning."

Seta laughed.

"You're still upset about that defeat aren't you?"

"SHUT UP!"

She picked up a random rock sitting near the pool, and hurled it at Seta. It caught him squarely in the forehead, and knocked him backwards through the door and down the stairs. The door slammed shut behind him.

"Problem solved," Motoko said.

"Eeh heh heh heh…" Keitaro laughed, uneasily.

Keitaro and Motoko sat in the hot water for a while longer, talking and chatting casually as though they were on the terms of close friends, which they were. Eventually, the left the water an hour later, showered and toweled off, and re-entered the building.

"I figured since the plane has to be scraped up, I brought some clothes for you."

"Arigatou Motoko. I would have had to buy at least five changes of clothes."

They walked down the hallway until they came to the room Keitaro and Seta was staying in. Keitaro unlocked the door, and Motoko stepped in first, then Keitaro. The door clicked shut behind them, and the strange perpetual cold that accompanies most hotel rooms washed at their legs. The curtains on the bay window were drawn.

"Wow, this is a nice room."

"It sure is, though sadly our sleeping arrangements will change rather quickly."

Motoko spun around.

"What did you say Urashima?!" she demanded sharply.

Keitaro jumped back in alarm.

"I only meant that we were going to move to a new location!"

Motoko froze, and Keitaro ceased running away. He looked at Motoko with a puzzled look.

"What did you think I meant?"

Motoko shrank, and turned red with visible embarrassment. Keitaro stood and ran the phrase over and over again in his head. When he realized the unintentional implication, he also turned red with embarrassment.

"I only meant that we would be moving to a tent. I didn't know that I really spoke in such a stupid manner."

Keitaro accidentally began thinking about topics related to 'changed sleeping arrangements.' As a result, he convulsed with the thought of violating Motoko, and she noticed.

"Surely you don't find me unattractive?"

He gazed at her, and then broke his gaze.

"Well…"

"Baka."

She struck him in the back of the head with a practice sword that had somehow appeared in her hand from nowhere.


End file.
